Statutory anti-gambling laws in each state are presented in full text. A chart answering common state gambling law questions is included, as are articles explaining different aspects of gambling laws.

This Website is an effort to make available a wide range of information on gambling laws at both the State and Federal levels governing the legality of various forms of gambling and gaming. Currently the website includes:

Area of Coverage:

In the left column, click on:

Conclusions on five basic issues under every State anti-gambling law.

State Law Summary

Texts of the basic anti-gambling law of every State.
(All state anti-gambling law texts were updated through January 1, 2010.)

State Gambling laws

Texts of State Charitable Gambling statutes

State Charitable Gaming Laws

Articles and notes on various legal matters, including online gambling matters

Gambling Law Articles

Summaries of the principal federal laws applicable to gambling, including the new UIGEA.

US Federal Gambling Laws

Links to Useful Sites for further exploration of gambling laws.

Useful Sites

Gaming and gambling in the United States have undergone a great boom. During the past decade most states have expanded legalized gaming, including regulated casino-style games and lotteries. There has been an explosion in opening Native American casinos.
The
popularity of online gambling and betting has increased exponentially. Gambling-Law-US.com presents, explains and analyzes the patchwork of state and federal and state gambling laws that apply to the boom.

The words "gamble" and "gambling" are generally used to discuss an activity that may run afoul of applicable criminal laws. The word "gaming" is usually reserved for those instances where the activity has been specifically legalized by applicable laws or where the activity is exempted from the criminal laws. Thus, playing a casino-style game at a for-profit website online in the United States is referred to as gambling,
since no state has yet to finalize any
gambling law that specifically authorizes a for-profit website operator to offer any casino games.

The two words are not mutually exclusive. That is, a gaming activity could turn out to be gambling where applicable laws regulating that particular gaming are violated. Similarly, a gambling activity may turn out to be gaming if it is exempted from a given criminal statute. For example, playing a card game for money in a purely social setting where no one earns anything from the game other than as a mere player would be gaming if such social games were excluded from the reach of the criminal anti-gambling laws in the state where the game takes place.
For the history of gambling laws on a state-by-state basis, see
the individual state entries on
Pokerwebsites.com.

Presented By

Chuck Humphrey

Chuck Humphrey began practicing law in 1968. He was a partner in the national firm of Kirkland & Ellis when, in 1986, he became one of the two founding partners of Addoms & Humphrey, a Business Development Company, that assisted in structuring and financing new ventures.

In 1999 he became the principal investor in and one of the founders of the Tournament of Champions of Poker and the manager of Team Pegasus, an association of professional tournament poker players.

He is admitted to practice law in Colorado, Michigan and Texas, currently being active in Colorado, where he lives. He was a staff attorney for the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. early in his legal career. Chuck holds BBA, MBA and J.D (cum laude) degrees, all from the University of Michigan. He is an AV-rated attorney, a peer-awarded honor given by Martindale-Hubbell.

Chuck continues his law practice, which principally focuses on gambling law, business matters, and structuring transactions.